[Rich]

Last night I worked a not-so-close GV game. I think it ended 60-33 or something like that. The interesting part of the game was that the home (and winning) team played aggressive press/trap basketball all night long and the losing team essentially sat back in a zone and played no defense. We went the first 4 minutes of the game with no fouls and then the home team managed to pick up NINE in the last 4 minutes of the first quarter. At one point the foul total was 20-5 (13-4 in the first half and 7-1 in the second half). And in the second half we went the first five minutes without a foul.

To the home coach's credit, he never once said a word about this. Not that he was quiet all night, as I'll describe in a minute.

Anyway, the point of the thread.

I'm the T, 2-person. We're in transition and I come in strong and get a foul from behind on a shooter. I'm not sure why the home coach (who was up 20 at this point) decided to, in the words of Demi Moore, "strenuously object", but he did and I ended up having to address his crucifixion pose and his loud mouth after reporting the foul. Very strange. Let's say I did (which I didn't) miss the call. So what? He's up 20, the foul was the girl's first of the night, and the team had already committed 19 fouls. Anyway....

(All of the following was told to me by my partner. I had my back turned.)

As I'm reporting, apparently the ball rolled towards the bleachers at the division line. About a foot of space on the sides. Guy picks up the ball and holds it while I'm addressing the coach's interpretation of sportsmanship. Partner is still on the baseline supervising the players. He kept an eye on the guy with the ball, though, who decided to not return it right away. Eventually, my partner asked for the ball and the guy rolled it slowly to the other (empty) end of the court, where it had to be retrieved by game management.

Anyhow, I'll stop there to see how others would deal with this, if at all...

And I left my shoes at the school. So I'll make a trip this afternoon, since they're having a FT shooting contest there today (I'm glad I heard that announcement). Last week, I left my glasses at a school. It's worse getting older when I'm forgetful in the first place. Now it's just getting ridiculous....